Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the ability to question certain rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the system currently in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
